Travis Kelce says Taylor Swift is ‘fully encouraging’ him to continue playing football as retirement questions loom

Travis Kelce shared that Taylor Swift has been motivating him to continue his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs as he considers hanging up his uniform.

“She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” the tight end shared on Wednesday’s episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”

Kelce gushed over the 14-time Grammy winner, saying she “loves coming” and “cheering” for him at the Chiefs’ home games at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have dinner at Waverly Inn on October 15, 2023 in New York City.

Travis Kelce on "The Stephen A. Smith Show."

“I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams,” he said.

Elsewhere in the episode, the three-time Super Bowl champ shared how he feels about retiring “changes every single day.”

“I love everything that I’m doing … but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field,” Kelce, 35, said about his rocky season.

Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game.

Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game.

“I’m excited for these next couple of games … to finish this season off,” he continued. “I’ll reevaluate it like I always do [and] I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I’ll come back next year.

“It’s just something that you have to keep into perspective and I never want to get to the point where I’m not helping this team win or I’m hurting this team more than I’m helping this team.”

Kelce explained that as long as he’s playing “good football,” fans will continue to see him “in Chiefs uniform.”

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, and singer Taylor Swift leave Arrowhead stadium after an NFL football game between the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.

At the start of the 2024-25 season, the “New Heights” podcaster admitted he was “struggling in terms of stats” but the Chiefs were somehow finding “ways to win games.”

“We’re not playing our best football,” Kelce said on his podcast in September, acknowledging he has “not really [received] a lot of opportunities” to make plays on the field.

In December, Kelce also opened up about his recent lack of chemistry on the field with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, saying it was “f–king frustrating.”

 Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 21, 2023 in Kansas City.

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the sideline during the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on January 05, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

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